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1 Objectives
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2 I. Listening...
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3 II. Listenin...

1. To become familiar with monetary units presented as a listening focus;
2. To improve listening comprehension through specific exercises.

In an economy-driven world, you have to be money-conscious to survive. You have to pay for basic necessities — food, housing, clothing — and for anything else you need or want. This section focuses your attention on an aspect of authentic, day-to-day English: money talk.
● 1. Listen to each of the following statements, paying particular attention to the monetary units. Then complete each sentence with the correct amount of money from among the four choices given.
1) The driver was told to pay to reclaim (收回) his vehicle.
a. 5,200 yuan
b. 2,000 yuan
c. 2,500 yuan
d. 500 yuan
2) The painting was auctioned off (拍卖掉) for via telephone bid (竞拍) .
a. 100 million yuan
b. 10 million yuan
c. 10 billion yuan
d. 100 billion yuan
3) The stock (股票) fell 5 cents yesterday on the New York Stock Exchange, to .
a. US$35.70
b. US$37.50
c. US$53.70
d. US$70.35
4) Last week, China Mobile spent to buy a 20 percent stake (股份) in Phoenix Television Holdings (控股) Ltd. from News Corp.
a. HK$4.1 billion
b. HK$1.4 billion
c. HK$14 billion
d. HK$41 billion
5) Fernando Torres, nicknamed “El Niño”, moved to Chelsea from Liverpool in 2011 for a reported fee of .
a. £ 5 million
b. £ 500 million
c. £ 50 million
d. £ 5 million
● 2. Listen to the following statements, each of which will be spoken twice. During the pause after each statement, ill in the blank(s) with the correct amount of money.
1) The artist predicted that the painting would sell for 8 to 10 million yuan.
2) Owner Mark Cuban stoked the furor (火上浇油) with his antics (滑稽的动作) after Game 5, which resulted in a US$250,000 fine early on Tuesday.
3) The driver was charged with running an illegal cab business and his vehicle was going to be seized until he paid 10,000 yuan, the minimum fine for a “black cab.”
4) A basic Beijing to Lhasa coach ticket, called a “hard seat,” sells for 389 yuan, while a hard sleeper bunk bed costs 813 yuan, and the price for a shared compartment or soft sleeper is 1,262 yuan.
5) The levy (征税) for flights within Asia will increase from 109 to 117 Hong Kong dollars.


A. News Item One
● Listen to the following news item and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given.
the international charity Oxfam | 国际慈善机构乐施会 |
feature | vt. 由…为主要成员 |
tycoon | n. 企业界大亨,巨头 |
trillion | n. 万亿 |
extreme | a. 极度的 |
ailing | a. 体衰的 |
tax havens | 避税场所(指税率很低的国家或地区) |
tackle | vt. 解决,正对,处理 |
vital | a. 至关重要的 |
public services | 公共服务;公共设施 |
1)
a. Public services on charities.
b. Wealth and inequality in the world.
c. Wealth proportional to the world’s population.
d. The Chinese mainland vs. Hong Kong in wealth.
2)
a. A drop of 41 per cent.
b. A drop of $3.5 billion.
c. An increase of $1 trillion.
d. An increase of 41 per cent.
* Script:
The wealthiest 62 people now own as much as half the world’s population of about 3.5 billion people does, as the gap between rich and poor continues to widen rapidly, according to a report by the international charity Oxfam.
Although half of these super-rich individuals come from the United States, the list features five investors from the Chinese mainland and three tycoons from Hong Kong.
In comparison, the wealth of the poorest has fallen by $1 trillion since 2010, a drop of 41 per cent.
Winnie Byanima, Oxfam International’s executive director, said, “The richest can no longer pretend that their wealth benefits everyone — their extreme wealth in fact shows an ailing global economy.”
Oxfam has called for action to be taken against tax havens to tackle inequality. It is also asking for governments to invest in healthcare, schools and other vital public services.
Q1: What is the news report mainly about?
Q2: What can we learn about the wealth of the poorest since 2010?
B. News Item Two
● Listen to the following news item and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given.
Bacha Khan University | 帕夏汗大学 |
Charsadda | 查萨达市(巴基斯坦北部城市) |
Peshawar | 白沙瓦(巴基斯坦北部城市) |
Pakistani | a. 巴基斯坦的 |
footage | n. 片断镜头 |
military presence | 军事存在 |
flee | vi. 逃走 |
at the scene | 在现场 |
security | n. 安全 |
claim | vt. 声称 |
3)
a. Many.
b. Twenty-one.
c. Five.
d. Two.
4)
a. Five students.
b. Many people.
c. Most of his students.
d. One professor and one student.
5)
a. While the gunmen were fleeing.
b. While the classes were going on.
c. While someone was talking on the phone.
d. While there was a heavy military presence there.
* Script:
At least two people were killed Wednesday as gunmen stormed a university in northwestern Pakistan, police said.
Authorities said a professor and student had been killed in the attack at Bacha Khan University in the town of Charsadda, located 21 miles outside the city of Peshawar. Earlier, police said that at least five people had been wounded in the attack.
Pakistani TV stations are broadcasting footage showing heavy military presence at the university, troops rushing in and people fleeing. Ambulances are at the scene and the wounded are being taken to hospital.
Shabir Khan, a lecturer in the English department, said, “Most of the students and staff were in classes when the firing began. I have no idea about what’s going on but I heard one security official talking on the phone to someone and said many people had been killed and injured.”
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Q3: How many people were killed in the attack according to the authorities?
Q4: According to the lecturer in the English Department, how many people were killed and injured?
Q5: When did the firing begin?

A. Conversation One
● Listen to the following long conversation and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given.
1)
a. Office manger.
b. Programmer.
c. Travel agent.
d. Secretary.
2)
a. He was busy minding his own business.
b. He was on sick leave last week.
c. He was out of town last week.
d. He arrived at work too late.
3)
a. It’s easy.
b. It’s boring.
c. It’s demanding.
d. It’s convenient.
* Script:
W: Good morning, Sir.
M: Good morning.
W: Are you Mr. Lee, the office manager?
M: Yes, I am. Who are you?
W: I’m the new secretary.
M: Oh, yes. I was out of town last week and didn’t get to meet you. What’s your name?
W: My name’s Susan Black.
M: It’s nice to have you with us. We have a lot of work to do here. You’ll be very busy. That’s your desk over there.
W: Thank you, Mr. Lee.
M: And that’s your computer. You can use other machines in the corridor.
W: It’s really convenient. I love this place.
M: And please call me Peter.
W: Thank you, Peter, and I like to be called Sue.
Q1: What does the woman do as a newcomer?
Q2: How come the man didn’t get to meet the woman?
Q3: What can we learn about the woman’s work according to the man?
B. Conversation Two
● Listen to the following long conversation and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given.
4)
a. College students.
b. High school graduates.
c. An instructor and a graduate.
d. A travel agent and a customer.
5)
a. Their hometowns.
b. Their future plans.
c. Their college lives.
d. Their school parties.
6)
a. Where to stay, on campus or off campus.
b. What to do upon graduation.
c. Where to go to college.
d. What to study next fall.
7)
a. In the state with private schools.
b. In the city of NY.
c. Within the state.
d. Out of the state.
8)
a. Because the students are more serious about school.
b. Because the students are fond of partying.
c. Because it is not so expensive.
d. Because it is close to home.
* Script:
W: I can’t believe that we’re almost out of high school.
M: I can’t either. What are you going to do next fall? Go to college?
W: Yes, but I can’t decide where to go.
M: Do you want to go to a big university or a small one?
W: I think I’d rather go to a small university, so the classes wouldn’t be so large.
M: Do you want to go out of the state or stay here?
W: I want to stay in the state, so I will be close to home.
M: It sure would be nice to be close enough to come home on weekends when you want to. How about a public or private university?
W: Well, I like the atmosphere of a private church-owned school. The students are more serious about school, and there isn’t a lot of partying.
M: Yes, but private universities are so expensive.
W: I know. What about you? What are you going to do after graduation?
M: I’m going to the City College of New York.
Q4: What most probably are the two speakers?
Q5: What are they talking about?
Q6: What does the girl have to decide?
Q7: Where does she prefer to study as a college student?
Q8: Why does she like a private church-owned school?

A. Passage One
● Listen to the following passage and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given.
1)
a. Valentine’s Day.
b. April Fool’s Day.
c. Cultural Heritage Day.
d. National Handshake Day.
2)
a. To know National Handshake Day.
b. To develop your hand-to-hand style.
c. To have a better understanding of yourself.
d. To convey the message you want to convey.
3)
a. For the promotion of an emotional connection.
b. For the purpose of handshake practice.
c. For the sake of a business situation.
d. For the practice of expressing love.
* Script:
Today is National Handshake Day, so take a moment to review your shaking etiquette (礼节) and learn how to send subtle (精细的) and not-so-subtle messages with your hand-to-hand style.
While handshaking isn’t as common as it once was, it is still a significant social exchange which should not be underrated (低估) . Make sure your handshake is conveying the message you want to convey. Looking to project (释放) a sense of closeness and understanding with your handshake?
Form a personal connection with the hand clasp. This is better for sales and social situations than business situations. When you shake hands, take your other hand, your left hand, and use it to cover the back of the person’s hand you are shaking. This reinforces (加强) an emotional connection and is suitable when you want to establish rapport (密切关系) and show sympathy (同情) . Obviously you have to follow up your rapport-establishing handshake by actually, you know, talking and relationship building.
Q1: What day is today?
Q2: What are you supposed to do in your handshake according to the speaker?
Q3: What is it for when the speaker suggests using your left hand to cover the back of the person’s hand you are shaking?
B. Passage Two
● Listen to the following passage and then, for each question, select the best answer from among the four choices given.
4)
a. Lovers.
b. Friends.
c. Couples.
d. Students.
5)
a. To be hugged is to be loved.
b. People prefer words to hugging.
c. Hugging does not mean anything in our life.
d. How much it means to be hugged is neglected.
6)
a. It is part of communication.
b. It is a form of body language.
c. It is simply more than a word.
d. It can convey more than words.
7)
a. It is nonverbal (非言语的) in nature.
b. It is a way of managing your stress.
c. It is generally practiced without affection (感情) .
d. It helps keep your relationship happy and healthy.
* Script:
How often do you do it? Can’t remember the last time, or are you at it (忙个不停) every single day? We’re talking about hugging. A simple act of affection (感情) is of great help in keeping your relationship happy and healthy. And for long-term couples especially, you can often forget how much it means to be hugged.
Why hugging is so important? Affectionate (深情的) body language like hugging can say far more than words ever can, and in fact most of what we communicate comes from signals that aren’t verbal (言语的) .
Hugging is important to your relationship. It makes you feel emotionally connected to each other, especially when you are under so much stress in your daily live.
For couples, hugging helps bridge the gap between what happens in the bedroom and what happens in your day-to-day life. Stop hugging and you might lose that special intimacy (亲密) and forget how good it can make you feel.
Q4: Whom is the speaker most probably talking to?
Q5: What seems to be the problem about hugging according to the speaker?
Q6: Why is hugging so important according to the speaker?
Q7: Why is the speaker trying to say about hugging?

